Oct 2010—Working with the mayor and government council, Animal Zone has moved forward on our plan to hire a vet for the island of Amorgos. Dr. Maria Despoti, a young veterinarian from Thessaloniki, arrived in Amorgos in mid-October 2010 for a two-month trial. For us, this means gaining ground in our goal of maintaining a healthy cat population, and providing regular healthcare for the neglected dogs, goats, mules and all other animals on the island. So far, she has worked closely with the local animal group PMAA for all regular and emergency animal care, such as caring for Paola the mare, treating a cat with crushed feet, vaccinating the dogs up the mountain as well as the two puppies that have been recently saved. We are pleased to hear that as the Amorgosian community learn of Dr. Despoti’s presence, they are bringing the stray animals from their distant villages, in particular the village of Lengarda, to the AZI clinic for sterilization, vaccinations and basic healthcare.

We hope to extend her contract for a year. As you can imagine, expenses for retaining a vet, the medicine and vaccines needed for the animals, and other costs of operating an animal clinic require a lot of money. This is our main goal for raising money now. We believe having a vet available on the island will completely transform the lives of the animals as well as the community.